Prague: Call for support from Klinika

by: fawda - February 13th, 2019

In January 2019 Prague’s only political squat Klinika was evicted by a private executor (debt-collector) and a private security service. For four years this autonomous social centre had been a place for meetings of emancipatory social movements, neighbours and independent culture.
Klinika was one of the first centres of refugee help in the Czech Republic, and after this it was attacked by neo-Nazis and became a target of permanent pressure from Czech right-wing politicians.

The executor has claimed 1,600,000 CZK (62,000 Euros) as the costs for the eviction. He blocked the personal bank account of one member of Klinika’s collective who had signed the contract that legalised Klinika for one year in 2015. As a consequence, her wages go straight to the executor (debt collector) and she cannot use her bank account. We understand this as an attempt to exact the exemplary punishment of political activists. All this is happening in the context of the Czech Republic being discussed as an executors’ mafia state – which has brought almost 10% of the population into insurmountable, precarious life situations.

The amount of 62 000 EUR exceeds the financial possibilities of the Czech social movement and that is why we are asking for financial solidarity or advice of who to turn to for help in paying these costs. We will fight the executor’s claim at court and in case we get the money back we are ready to return them if requested. Nevertheless, now we are in the urgent need of paying the money so that the member of the collective is free from the tough restrictions caused by the execution (her personal property is now under threat of repossession too).